The four clones stood saluting longer than any of them expected, and it was only when a voice called out to them from behind that they finally turned.

"Sirs, the parade is about to begin," a clone said from a gunship that had just arrived to pick them up. His armor sported red shoulder, elbow, and kneepads, and he wore a unique crimson pauldron over his right shoulder. His helmet resembled that of Wolffe and Neyo, save for the crimson Jaig eyes on his.

"Understood, Captain Fordo," Rex said to the man as he moved to join him on the gunship, along with his comrades. When the vessel lifted off from the memorial, the clones reapplied their helmets. Rex knew they would be taking them off again soon to get properly dressed, but for the moment, he felt it better to keep his emotions about the day to himself, and it appeared the others shared his sentiment.

After shooting across the sky for a minute, Jesse found himself laughing. "I know it must've been foolish, but Hardcase and I talked about what it might be like for us all when the war finally ended, and now it's actually here."

"Indeed," Rex nodded. "Nothing but smooth sailing from now on."

#

The ceremony was held at Republic Square, just south of the Federal District. At the square, Jedi generals and their clone counterparts stood at attention while they awaited the parade to meet them from the other end of the road.

Ahsoka was between Obi-Wan and Anakin while they awaited the arrival of Bacara and the Republic Army, and she felt beyond honored to be there. Despite no longer being a Jedi, she had been invited by three generals to join in the ceremony. She knew masters Kenobi and Skywalker had wanted her to come, but she was curious about the third. While they stood watching the road, she noticed her former master out the corner of her eye, and thought he appeared slightly agitated.

"Anakin," Ahsoka whispered as she leaned her head toward him. "Something wrong?"

Obi-Wan overheard the pair, and sighed. "Anakin, like I said, you should have relieved yourself before coming."

"It's not that," Anakin snapped back at the man before looking to Ahsoka. "It's just… as much as this ceremony must mean to everyone, I only hope it ends quickly."

"Why's that?"

"I haven't seen Padme in a month. Not since our reunion after the battle," Anakin explained.

"Wait, she's not coming to the ceremony?" Ahsoka asked with a cock of the brow.

"None of the senators are," Anakin replied. "Seems they felt this should be a celebration of the armies that did what they had failed to do: bring peace."

Ahsoka tilted her head at the unique circumstance, but said nothing more. Her gaze went back out to the road beyond, the only sound she could hear being the people in the streets, and the waving of the starship-sized Republic flag behind them. Her focus was pulled away from the main road only when she heard the voice of a main call out from her left.

"Hope we didn't miss anything," came the voice of Rex as he, Cody, and Wolffe approached the stage where the generals and commanders stood. They, like the rest of the commanders, no longer wore their armor, but rather pure white navy uniforms, save for the shoulder pads that were colored to represent their legion.

Anakin smiled as he turned to the men, crossing his arms in the process. "Aren't you looking spiffy," he remarked with an expression of pride.

Rex blushed, and began scratching the back of his neck out of embarrassment. "Feels weird being out of the armor, but I suppose a month of fighting will do that to you." The three men approached, and came to stand behind their generals alongside Commander Gree, who had managed to remove his chip during the chaotic fighting that overtook Kashyyyk in the final moments before Order 66.

Rex stood behind Anakin, and Cody behind Obi-Wan, but without a general, Wolffe found himself uncomfortable. He thought of standing near Mundi and Windu since Bacara had not yet arrived, when he caught a glance from Ahsoka. She stared at him, a blank look in her eyes which he initially found unsettling, until she tilted her head for him to stand behind her. It was only then that he smiled, and stood between Rex and Cody as they watched the Republic Army finally come into view.

Bacara was still armored up, as was everyone who participated in the march. He walked out in front, giving an occasional wave to the citizens that cheered them on as they passed, though he felt grossly unqualified to do so; it simply was not his personality. Just behind him marched a long-lost commando finally returned home, Captain Gregor, and alongside him Captain Fordo. Behind them came the rest of the army.

However, Rex noticed there were many clones missing from the parade. He knew Jesse had stayed back at the Senate Offices, where a more private celebration would be held, but was surprised to not see the Bad Batch. "Where's Hunter?" he asked the others.

Cody turned to him. "Every clone that's marching today chose to. No one was forced, and because of that, many decided not to join in attendance."

Wolffe chalked up the decision of others not joining as them being unpatriotic, but for Rex, it signaled to him that perhaps the rumors he had been hearing about the army were true. It meant, perhaps, that they were being granted the one thing many had whispered about for years: their freedom. His mind was given little room to wander, however, when Bacara arrived at the square.

It was only then that Rex realized the full scale of the Clone Army. Millions of them, stretching for miles, with AT-TEs amongst their ranks as they approached, each legion coated in a different paint. Millions of citizens were in the streets and on the rooftops, cheering and shooting out confetti as the army passed by. It took another five minutes before Bacara and the others reached the stage, where the army stood at attention.

Once the army had stopped, and the people had quieted down, the one general everyone had come to love and admire during the war stepped up to the podium in order to speak.

"War," Anakin uttered as he began to address the sea of people before him. "It is something the Jedi were never meant to wage, yet we found ourselves enveloped in the politics of the galaxy long before we ever realized it. The Jedi are peacekeepers, and should have remained that way. The Republic was a true democracy, and should have been left that way. However, the government we all put our trust in came to be led by corrupt figures interested in selfish gains, and the Clone Wars proves that," he continued to say. "Now, with the war finally at an end, and the Sith behind such machinations destroyed, we can look to rebuilding all that was lost."

The people cheered for him, and flowers were thrown into the square as people expressed their gratitude.

"In order to do that," Anakin then said, "we must look to the Grand Army of the Republic, and give our selfless soldiers the one thing many of them have wanted since the war's inception: their freedom."

Rex looked to the other commanders around him, his eyes wide. They never had a choice in the war. It was either do as they were told, or be subject to punishment. Now, to have an actual say in what he wanted, it left him stunned to silence. The other commanders appeared just as surprised as he was, and the people seemed to have mixed feelings about potentially losing their army, but by then, the ceremony was over.

#

Republic warships covered the sky, but no one was afraid. All those who had once held animosity for the Jedi, and even the Clone Army, were now praising them for all they had done. Celebrations continued in the streets, and the army was given leave to enjoy the festivities, but for a select few, another celebration of sorts was being held at the Senate Offices, far from prying eyes. Senators stood at the far landing pad waiting for their honored guests, and after a few minutes of waiting, spotted a pack of gunships soaring elegantly toward them.

The ships touched down on the landing pad moments later, and a handful of men and women departed. The Jedi masters that had survived the attempted purging of their order strolled out onto the platform, along with Ahsoka and several of their high ranking commanders. Idle chats immediately broke out as the clones made conversation with the senators, and Jedi reunited with one another. However, a more uncomfortable discussion started around Anakin, whose shoulders slumped when the other masters cornered him.

"I know we agreed to put this off until later," Windu began to say, "but now it's later. We can't forget that you turned to the Dark Side. You gave in to Darth Sidious, and you nearly killed me."

Obi-Wan put a hand on his beard as he listened to the man's accusations. He had been with Anakin since the beginning of the siege for Coruscant, and even though he saw Anakin's goodness shine, he could not deny the level of anger and dark intentions that filled his friend's mind during the battle.

"I…" Anakin tried to say, but found himself instead grimacing at the inevitability of their decision. He knew he had made many mistakes, many follies during the conflict that got countless hurt. It was his fault Order 66 was allowed to be initiated in the first place, though few realized it.

"What's worse," Windu growled, "is you formed an attachment. Not only that, you married a senator, and now have children because of it. You've broken the very Jedi Code we all stand on."

"Then why haven't I been expelled yet?!" Anakin snapped as he jabbed a finger toward the man.

"Because the people still needed their hero," Windu stated.

"So I've been nothing more than a political stunt for you?!" Anakin accused, his vision narrowing as his frustration overflowed. "You just kept me around so I could give a speech, lift everyone's spirits, and then discreetly exile me?"

Windu cocked an eyebrow in the man's direction, when he heard the soft stepping of footsteps behind him, along with the sound of a cane tapping against the ground, and turned to see the short, humble Master Yoda approaching.

The master's ears were tilted toward the conversation, and a look of curiosity was on his face as he stepped toward the conversing men, with Windu and Mundi parting for him to come through.

"So certain are you of your exile, Skywalker?" Yoda asked, and he raised his staff to point toward the man while he spoke.

"Well…" Anakin shrugged.

Ahsoka watched the interaction between the Jedi, and worried. The Jedi Order was Anakin's life, even if he had a wife and children. She knew what the Order meant to him, and wanted to help, only to find she would not need to.

"If I may," Obi-Wan interjected. "Aside from the unfortunate incident with Windu, he never harmed anyone but the enemy. He never slayed any of our Order, nor did he turn on our allies," he pointed out. "But more than that, he defeated Darth Sidious, thus restoring balance to the Force as the prophecy foretold."

Windu crossed his arms. "Perhaps… but—"

"I'm not saying it all worked out cleanly, but in the end he proved to be the Chosen One after all," Obi-Wan said.

Windu huffed. "Fine, so he is the Chosen One, despite the mess he left Coruscant in."

"The mess we all left it in," Obi-Wan corrected.

It was then that Yoda took a deep breath, loud enough for all to hear. His gaze was to the ground as he thought, and a moment later his eyes went to the Jedi around him. "Long clouded, our vision has been. The Jedi of old, far strayed from the path they did." He then closed his eyes, and shook his head. "No emotion, yet compassion. No attachments, yet care for the world around us. Silly it is, to contradict as such. Know this, Master Qui-Gon did." He then sighed. "Listened to him, we did not."

"What're you saying?" Windu asked as he raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I'm saying, perhaps grow we must. Open to new thoughts, we should be," Yoda said. "The Jedi Code, important it is, but not perfect, for perfect, nothing is."

"So…" Windu turned his gaze toward Anakin. "You're saying he can stay."

Yoda tilted his head. "Until proven wrong, I am. For now, with the Order he may remain."

Anakin smiled, a tear nearly falling down his face as he bowed to the master. "Thank you, Master Yoda." With that, it was settled. Anakin still could not believe it, even as he walked over to Rex and the others, that he had managed to remain in the Order. It was entirely unheard of. Jedi never formed attachments such as this, but it appeared the times were changing. In a way, it was his very attachments that allowed him to break through the fog of the Dark Side. As he stepped away to finally talk with his commander, he found Ahsoka stepping to his side.

"I'm happy for you, Anakin," Ahsoka beamed.

The man sent a smile her way in return. He then opened his mouth to speak, when he was caught off guard by an interruption behind him.

"Ahsoka," came the voice of Yoda, who gestured for her to approach, his curious eyes wide open in a sympathetic manner.

Ahsoka gave her former master a nod of farewell before stepping away from him. She came to stand a foot away from Yoda, a solemn look on her face as she gazed down at the smaller, yet wiser creature.

"Heard great praises of you I have, from masters Kenobi and Skywalker," Yoda said, a hand gesturing to the generals who were moving toward their commanders. "Stopped the Sith, you did. Saved Skywalker, you have."

Ahsoka looked over at Anakin, and knew it was only their bond that kept him from tipping over the edge. "I look out for my friends," she said, "until the very end."

"Your life, at stake it was, yet still you fought," Yoda remarked, his head tilted as he spoke. "Defeat, certain it must have seemed." He then shook his head, his eyes closing when he reflected on those he had lost. Though he and Gree tried to rescue the other Jedi on Kashyyyk, they had failed. They found Luminara Unduli and Quinlan Vos dead on the battlefield, killed by the very troopers they had once trusted with their lives. Only he and a few loyal clones managed to escape Kashyyyk, and from there spent a week attempting to contact any surviving Jedi. To him, everything appeared so bleak, until he received word that Coruscant had been retaken by the Jedi. "Why?" he then asked Ahsoka. "The Republic, owed you nothing it did."

Ahsoka looked to the ground, a hand going to her left arm as she thought about what the Republic had done to her. It forced her into war as a soldier, it forced her to give up her attachments for the greater good, and just when she believed she was doing everything right, she was framed for murder, and the Jedi turned their back on her. They casted her aside, as if everything she had ever done meant nothing to them. "I…" she began to say, when she looked out on her friends once more. "I may not have owed the Republic anything, but I owed my friends everything." She smiled when she watched her masters present Rex and Cody with an array of medals they well deserved. "I did my duty as a citizen of the Republic, and as a friend to those standing before us."

Yoda tilted his head to the right, his inquisitive gaze focused on Ahsoka. He was a being of wisdom, of peace, and the last thing anyone thought about when it came to him was emotion. Yet, in that moment, his voice nearly choked up. Nearly. "Not… as a Jedi?"

Ahsoka's eyes went to him, her lip shaking as she came to understand his question. On Mandalore, he had presented the same question to her. Yoda was never one to beg, or plead for someone to do anything, yet this seemed to be his way of doing it with her. Him, the oldest, and wisest of all Jedi was asking her back, for the second time. Ahsoka broke eye contact. "I don't know," she shook her head. "I don't know how I could ever come back to the Order."

Yoda's head lowered, his eyes becoming smaller as he sighed. In that moment, Ahsoka saw a rare expression on his face. An expression of sorrow.

"But I'd like to try," Ahsoka added, and she watched as Yoda instantly perked up. Her lips began to tremble. "If you'd have me."

Yoda nodded his head, and then performed an act no one had ever seen him do. He smiled, and it made Ahsoka's eyes water with emotion as she collapsed on her knees before him. In a single move, she burst forward and wrapped her arms around him, stunning the master to silence. Yet, despite his surprise, Yoda found himself closing his eyes, and gently pat Ahsoka's back as he attempted to calm her emotions.

Across the way, Rex and Cody found themselves smiling ear to ear when they received their accolades. They had received many before, but to them, it appeared these would be the last ones; yet another sign the war was truly over, which only further filled their hearts with joy.

Obi-Wan had a faint grin on his face as he placed Cody's final medal around his neck, the Medal of Bravery. It was the highest honor the Galactic Republic could bestow upon its heroes, which both commanders received. "I think this suits you nicely, General Cody," Obi-Wan remarked.

"What?" Cody said in response, believing his general had simply made a slip of the tongue.

The Jedi exchanged glances before looking back at their clone counterparts. "The rumors you both have undoubtedly heard are true. With the war over, the Jedi are returning to their role as peacekeepers within the Republic. Therefore, the army will need new generals, and the both of you are prime candidates," Obi-Wan explained, his smile never fading from his face.

"That's… well.. thank you, sir," Cody said with a slight bow, too discombobulated to say much beyond that. He then looked to Rex, only to see a frown on the man's face.

Anakin caught the look as well. "Something wrong, Rex?"

The commander felt embarrassed he had even let his emotions show. "Oh, no sir!" Rex was quick to say. "It's just… we have the ability to choose now, right? I mean, whether to stay in the army or not?"

Anakin cocked an eyebrow, initially surprised by Rex's question, until he looked over toward the edge of the platform, where he found the survivors of Clone Force 99 chatting with senators. He then grinned, and returned his gaze to Rex. "You're not sure you want to stick around, are you?" Rex was about to respond, when he put his hand up. "It's perfectly fine, Rex. You have plenty of time to think it over."

Rex nodded his head in gratitude. "Thank you, General."

Anakin then wagged a finger in his direction. "Actually, it's just Skywalker now."

"Right," Rex laughed. "Just not used to that, is all."

"Of course," Anakin smiled, when his gaze suddenly shot past the clones to those beyond them. "You boys haven't seen my wife around yet, have you? I was hoping she'd arrived by now."

"Afraid not, sir," Cody reported. "We'll be sure to inform you if we see her, though."

"Much appreciated," Anakin replied, when Obi-Wan put a hand on his shoulder.

"If you'll excuse us, our attention is required elsewhere," Obi-Wan said to the clones before gesturing for them to return to the Jedi. The pair turned in the direction of the others, where they found Windu and Mundi alongside he Jedi younglings that had fought beside their men during the battle at the plaza. In the distance, construction of a new temple for the Order was just becoming visible amongst the skyline.

That left Rex and Cody to themselves, and they each looked to their medals with pride as they reflected on all that had occurred during their past three years of service. "We've been through a lot together, haven't we?" Rex remarked when he glanced over at his comrade.

"Yeah," Cody grinned. "Been a wild ride, lost a lot of good men, but we made it." It was then that they heard the voices of others approaching, and turned to see Wolffe, Gree, and Jesse coming their way.

"Nice medals," Jesse remarked. "We don't even have those."

Rex was about to comment, when he heard a voice from behind.

"Wow."

Rex turned to see Ahsoka standing before him.

"That's quite the arrangement of medals you got there, Rex old boy," Ahsoka said with a grin as she looked him up and down. "You're looking every bit the soldier."

"Thank you, Commander," Rex replied with a nod of the head.

"Didn't you hear?" Ahsoka giggled. "We're not soldiers anymore. You can ease off the formalities."

Rex shrugged. "As you wish, Lady Tano." He then looked to his medals, and found himself becoming emotional again. "You know, when this war started, I never imagined I'd lose so many brothers. So many friends. Eventually, though I never said it, I expected to join them at some point. Maybe not in the Clone Wars, but in fighting some war for the Republic. Now, however, I see that's all changed."

"You deserve everything you've been given," Ahsoka stated. "I'm glad I can share this moment with such a good friend."

Rex was smiling ear to ear. In the past, only Fives and Anakin could make him smile as such, but now he felt himself overflowing with happiness as he looked to the young woman. Then, he raised a hand to his head, and saluted the very woman that had gotten them through it all.

Ahsoka saluted him as well, and for a moment they stared at one another, happy they could share each other's company after all they had endured together. When their arms finally lowered, Rex was about to gesture for Ahsoka to join him and his brothers, when he saw her turn toward another.

"Lux?!" Ahsoka exclaimed when she spotted the dashing man walk in her direction from a nearby ship. She sprinted toward him as her excitement overflowed; they had not seen each other in a month.

"Ahsoka, I'm—" Lux attempted to say, when he felt a pair of arms around his neck. His body spiraled around from the momentum of Ahsoka's body, and he was nearly taken off his feet when Ahsoka's legs returned to the ground. Lux could not help but blush. "I… was going to say I'm thankful for the invitation to join you at this celebration."

"Just admit it," Ahsoka snapped, "you weren't going to come until you got my expressed permission."

Lux scratched the back of his neck as embarrassment took hold. "Well, I didn't want to intrude upon anything." His arms went to her back. "But I'm here now, and I could not be more happy for all the recognition you've received."

"Thank you, Lux," Ahsoka replied as she leaned into him, her arms around his neck, when she abruptly pulled away. "I… um… I think I should tell you… I've been accepted back into the Order."

"What?!" Lux questioned, surprised she would do such a thing. He had heard of everything she had been through with the Jedi, and knew how betrayed she felt when they threw her out. But, above all else, he knew about their ancient code, and what it said regarding attachments. "Does this mean…"

Ahsoka knew the Jedi Code, as she understood Lux did too, when her head tilted toward Anakin and the others a good distance away. "I wouldn't worry about it, Lux," she said while returning her gaze to him. "We have plenty of time to figure this out."

"I hope so," Lux remarked as he leaned in to her. "I'd miss not having you around."

"So would I," Ahsoka replied, her lips moving closer to his as they spoke to one another. Then, they both fell silent, their lips nearly touching, when a loud cough erupted nearby, forcing the pair to turn.

Rex was standing before them, hands on his hips. "So, this is the man you've talked about," he remarked to Ahsoka as he approached.

Lux was quick to let go of the woman. "Oh… um… Captain Rex I presume. I believe you helped my people and I back on Onderon. It's a pleasure to meet—"

"It's alright, kid," Rex threw a hand up as he came to stand by Ahsoka's side.

The woman simply rolled her eyes at his interruption of their moment.

"I'm glad she's been able to meet a man who treats her with the respect she deserves," Rex said. It was then that he put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder, and his gaze became stern as he looked to Lux. "Just remember," he stated, "she's got a million older brothers watching out for her."

Lux sighed. "As if I wasn't under enough pressure already."

Rex chuckled. "I'll leave you both to it," he remarked before turning away, and found himself walking toward the one group of people that appeared rather standoffish. The men of the Bad Batch were off to the side of the platform, and Hunter was presently making small talk with the beautiful Senator Chuchi when he spotted Rex. Seeing the war hero approach, Chuchi gave a nod of respect to Hunter before making herself scarce for the men to talk.

"Look at you," Hunter commented while he gestured to Rex's apparel. "You'd make a fine general."

Rex's smile faded when he heard those words. "About that…"

"Something wrong?" Hunter asked as he tilted his head in curiosity.

"It's just…" Rex was about to say, when he turned to the others who were still wearing their armor. "What are you boys going to do now that the war's over?"

"You mean now that we have a choice?" Tech asked for clarification, then answered. "We are thinking of touring the stars again, but this time without being constantly shot at."

"Awww," Wrecker groaned. "We'd better, or else what's the point?!"

Hunter cracked a faint grin. "What Tech means is: we never worked closely with the army anyways, so taking off's not that big a leap for us." He then cocked an eyebrow when he looked at Rex more closely, as if doing so would yield hidden information about the man. "What about you, Rex?"

"I don't know," the commander admitted with a shrug. "But, I met a clone once. A deserter of sorts, who chose to lead a quiet life in the distant stars, with a family all to his own," he said, recalling a time years ago when a man by the name of Cut took him in, and showed him what a simple life could look like. "I suppose living a life away from war would be nice, but there's something I have to do first."

"What's that?" Hunter asked.

"I lost a brother several months back," Rex answered. "I want him back." Before he could say more, the entire platform went silent when a single voice shouted above the masses.

"Padme!" Anakin exclaimed when he spotted his wife making her way through the scores of senators on the landing pad. She was as beautiful as the day he laid eyes on her, and noticed she was wearing a tan outfit with a reddish-hued jacket over top of it. He ran to her, and saw the smile that spread across her face as he approached. He was quick to scoop her up in his arms, just as fireworks began to shoot off across the city. The real celebration had just begun.

#

The world of Mon Cala had never seen greater peace. Beneath the waves of its vast oceans, the Mon Calamari and Quarren people joined together in celebration that the war was finally over, and bid farewell to the final Republic ship making for orbit.

Aboard the vessel's bridge, many of the officers were celebrating when a clone adorned in golden armor entered. "Put us on the quickest route to Coruscant, men," the commander said. "We're going home."

"Already on it, Commander Monnk," one of the officers reported while pressing away at the ship's controls.

Far below the ship, the people of Mon Cala City swam in every direction, making sure there was not a soul alive that had not hear of the war's climactic end. Yet, none ventured to the surface of the waves, save for one.

Wading in the water, the young prince watched the Venator climb higher and higher into the atmosphere, a grin never leaving his face as he remembered all the Republic had done for him and his people.

"Quite the view isn't it, Prince Lee-Char?" a voice came from behind.

The startled prince whipped around in the water, his surprise fading when his eyes caught sight of an old friend. "Indeed it is, Captain Ackbar," Lee-Char nodded, his eyes slowly moving back toward the ship that was becoming little more than a speck in the sky. "It is good to see true freedom returning to the Republic."

"Quite right, my prince," Ackbar agreed, his eyes going to the blue sky above as well. "So long as the Republic learns from its mistakes, I have no doubt this is the beginning of tremendous prosperity."

Celebrations erupted all across the stars, with even those of the war-ravaged Mandalore System rejoicing. From her throne room, Bo-Katan had watched the ceremony held on Coruscant, and the faintest of grins peeked out across her face. "Well done, Ahsoka," she remarked before returning to her duties, with Ursa Wren marching proudly by her side.

On the barren world of Florrum, Hondo's Weequay pirates had never known greater celebration. Drinks were flying, and despite their ramshackle of a home, they felt prosperous. Hondo watched the ceremony on replay, and enthusiastically pointed a finger to the screen. "Those are my greatest friends, those Jedi!" he laughed, nearly falling over in his seat when he leaned back too far.

Yet, of all the worlds effected by the Clone Wars, there was one in particular that required extensive rebuilding after early Separatist campaigns. Cheers from its people nearly reached the heavens as those from the largest cities to the most rural of villages threw themselves upon the streets, where parties and festivities broke out in droves.

In one such village, a family of Twi'leks was preparing to join the celebrations, when a knock came at their door. The youngest of the family at only seven years of age, whose skin was a bright teal, stepped toward their doorway with a look of curiosity on her face before slowly pulling the door open. She noticed a pair of white boots at the threshold to her home, and when her eyes looked up, her jaw dropped. She then threw open the door to welcome a group of clones standing before her.

The men were of the 212th, with Boil standing nearest to the doorway. Behind him stood Crys, Trapper, and Wooley, who knew their comrade was never the sappy type, and figured he would need an extra push to return to such a planet as Ryloth.

Yet, despite how emotionally detached Boil could be, he was quick to perk up when he saw his little friend open the door. "Hey, Numa. I'm happy to see you again," he found himself saying. His right arm was trembling, and when Numa looked over, she came to understand why. "I… I told you we'd be back," Boil said, when his gaze went down to the object in his arm. Held within his grasp was the battle-damaged helmet of Waxer: his closest comrade, friend, and the one who came to care for the innocent girl before him, even when he first refused such a notion. In war, the clones had no time to be sentimental, but the war was over, and Boil felt he had taken all he could. His brothers were there for him, but it was only the comforting embrace of Numa that put his mind at ease, and he gently patted her back before being welcomed inside her family's home.

#

Anakin and Padme held one another for what felt like an eternity, when he finally let go of her just enough for them to breathe. "Where're the kids?" he was quick to ask.

"They're with 3PO," Padme answered, her head tilting up to look into the eyes of her husband. "I figured we could use a moment to ourselves before going back home."

"Of course," Anakin nodded, the biggest of smiles on his face as he continued to embrace his spouse. "I'm just… I'm beyond happy to see you again. We're going to have quite the party when we get back home to the kids."

Padme tilted her head to the side. "That's… how we got kids in the first place," she remarked, a playful smile on her face as she took a step closer to her spouse, her arms wrapping tighter around his neck as she leaned in for a kiss.

A short distance away, the pair's embrace caught the attention of the commanders, who looked on with a hint of both jealousy, as well as humor. They had never known love the way others had, and therefore had no basis upon which to place their emotions.

"They're really laying into each other, aren't they?" Wolffe remarked with a brief laugh before looking to the others.

"We should probably stop staring before it gets weird," Gree commented as he and the others turned away, where they found Rex walking toward them.

"Well," Cody smiled as he looked to the man. "Have you thought about the promotion yet?"

"It's been two minutes, Cody," Rex replied, rolling his eyes as he approached. His gaze then moved toward Jesse. "Actually…" he began to say, his mind teeming with thoughts when he came to stand beside his brothers. "What if a subordinate of mine were to receive the promotion instead?"

Cody was caught off guard. "Wha… well.. um." A look of confusion was on his face, when he turned his head toward the others, saw Jesse, and realized what Rex was hinting at. "Well, I suppose, with me being a general and all, I can do whatever I want."

Jesse was puzzled as he looked to Rex. "Sir, what are you talking about?"

Rex stepped to his lieutenant, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Jesse, you and I go way back. If there's one person I trust to lead the 501st, it's you."

"Me?!" Jesse uttered, awestruck by the opportunity presented to him. "Are you sure? I mean, what will you do? Are you seriously giving up the army?"

Rex's gaze fell to the floor, but he had already made up his mind. "You know, it would be nice to lead you all again, but I've served my purpose." He then looked into Jesse's eyes, and grinned. "I think it's time I forged my own path in the galaxy, just as you'll be doing with the 501st."

"I… I'm honored, sir," Jesse smiled.

"Then it's settled," Cody crossed his arms as he turned to the pair. "You're officially the acting general of the 501st, ARC Trooper."

"Yessir," Jesse was quick to reply. "Thank you, sir."

In that moment, Rex saw his brothers at their happiest, and knowing that made him all the more happy, when he heard footsteps from behind. Everyone on the platform was moving toward its edges in order to get a better view of the fireworks, but one particular pair was moving closer to them. Ahsoka had a shocked look on her face as she and Lux stepped closer.

"Rex, you're really giving up your position in the army?" she asked.

The man turned his head, and nodded. "If I stayed, I wouldn't be able to go after a brother of mine."

Jesse's ears perked up. "So that's what this is really about," he uttered. "You think Kix is still alive after all this time?"

"I do," Rex replied. "And I'm going to bring him home."

Jesse put his hands on his hips. "Well, I wish you the best of luck then. The boys have really missed their medic."

By then, they were all making their way to the edge of the platform, where the former Jedi generals, along with Anakin and Padme, all congregated. Everyone was in close proximity to one another, with Anakin and Padme closest to the excitement.

"It's so beautiful," Padme remarked, her head resting on Anakin's shoulder as she spoke.

Anakin's arm was around her, and he looked down to see the most precious of looks on her face. "I love you."

Padme looked into his eyes, a mischievous grin on her face as she cocked an eyebrow. "I know."

Anakin rolled his eyes and laughed, when he felt a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you too."

Anakin then felt a hand on his left shoulder, and turned to see Obi-Wan by his side. The man nodded in his direction, a solemn look on his face as he did so. If there was one person who understood the emotions he was feeling, it was Obi-Wan.

"I'm happy for you," Obi-Wan said.

"Thank you, Master," Anakin replied.

"Oh, I'm no longer your master," Obi-Wan replied as he let go of the man's shoulder, and looked out to the bright flashes of light beyond. "The others and I agreed that, by defeating Sidious, you passed your final test. You are finally a true Jedi Master."

Anakin's eyes widened, when he heard another voice from behind.

"Congratulations, Master," Ahsoka beamed, with Lux standing beside her as she spoke.

To Padme's right came Rex and Cody, smiles on their faces as they nodded to the generals before returning their gaze to the world around them. The friends watched the dazzling fireworks fill the sky, all relieved to be together again, with peace finally restored.

Far beyond Coruscant, near the edges of the galaxy, a clone helmet sat on a mantlepiece as a reminder of what the Clone Wars was really about. It was a great struggle where men, women, and children fought for what they believed in, all with the hopes of making a better tomorrow for the galaxy they held so dear.

#

Final chapter will release sometime this next week.